Carding machine



Jan.- 20, 1942. R. L. THOMPSON 2,270,720

CARDING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. B05605 LEE THOMPSON BY Jan. 20, 1942. R. THOMPSON 2,270,720

CARDING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HHIIHIIIIIIIIIHllllll llll llllIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIH (3 INVENTOR.

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Patented Jan. 20, 1942 CARDING MACHINE Roscoe Lee Thompson, Manchester, Ga., assignor to Callaway Mills, La Grange, Ga., a corpora- M tion of Georgia Application June 19, 1939, Serial No. 279,823

3 Claims.

This invention relates to carding machines,

and more particularly, to a mechanism for determining the variation and the quantity of sliver delivered and elfects a change in operation of the carding machine. It is accordingly one object of this invention to provide such a mechanism that is positive in action, simple in construction, economical to build, and easy to put into operation on existingcarding machinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will substantially reduce the amount of waste in existing machines.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device which will automatically stop the carding machine upon unduevariation in the weight of the sliver.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for stopping the carding machine when the can in which the sliver is coiled has been filled.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for existing cards whereby only a uniformsliver may be delivered. Another object of the invention is to provide indicating means to inform theoperator that the carding machine has stopped.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: 1 I

Figurel is a partial perspective of a carding machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial perspective of the carding machine coiler;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of thecoiler; and

Figure 4 is a wiring diagram of the invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the card comprises the usual card sides 2, cross girts 4, gear box 6, and doffer comb a. From the doffer comb 8, the thin transparent web of cotton I 0, is fed through calendar rolls l2, coiler head l4, into a can l5 mounted on a turn table l8.

In the coiler head 84, is mounted an electrical switch. to be described below. This switch is adapted to actuate a solenoid 20, which in turn operates the shipper handle 22 through link 23. This shipper handle efiects a change in operation of the carding machine through lever 24.

A switch 25 may be provided to de-energize the solenoid 20 after it has actuated the shipper handle 22. This switch is shown operated by lever 24 through chain 25 and switch lever 21. 66

The switch 22 is preferably of the double contact type which is spring biased to open a circuit through the solenoid 20 and close a circuit to energize a signal light 29 when the lever 24 is raised. The light 29 is used to indicate to the operator that the carding machine has stopped. A manually operable switch 26 is provided to make the feeler mechanism inoperative when desired.

Figure 2 shows a portion of the coiler with the cover 30 raised. The coiler head is shown comprising two coiler calendar rolls 32 and 34. These rolls are driven by means of spur gears 36 and 33 actuated by the carding machine power mechanism through a gear arrangement, not shown. The roll 34 is swingable on a pivot 40 by means of a connecting rod 42. An arm 44, is shown secured'to the connecting rod 42 at its pivot point and is preferably of such length as to multiply the motion of the connecting rod 42.

The arm 44 actuates an electrical switch 46. In normal operation the sliver I3, leaving the calendar roll I2, enters through a slot 3| in the coiler head cover and passes between the rolls 32 and 34. The sliver then enters an aperture in a floating gear 48 and passes into the can I6, where, through the action of the turn table I 8 and the gear 48, it is coiled in the usual manner. extent that the coiled sliver forces up against the floating gear 48, another portion of the switch 46, is actuated.

As shown in Figure 3, the switch 46 preferably comprises a leaf spring 56, carrying contact points 52 and 54, and is grounded at its other end to the support 56 of the coiler calendar rolls 32 and 34. Another set of contact points 58 and. 60 are carried by an insulating block Gland are adaptedto be engaged by contact point 52. The arm 44 is shown engaging, at its end; the contact 54. Thus it can be seen that a variation in the weight of the sliver it, as it passes between the rolls 32 and 34, will cause roll 34 to rotate about its pivot, creating a movement of arm 44. amount, a contact will be made between the contact points 52 and 58 and, when arm is lowered a suflicient amount, contact will be made between contact points 52 and 66.

Another leaf spring 10, fastened at one end to the support 56 is provided. This leaf spring has a contact point 12 extending through an aperture in the support 5%, and is adapted to be raised by the floating gear 46. A contact point 14 carried by the insulating block 62 is arranged When the can has been filled to such an When arm 44 is raised a sufficient so as to engage contact point 12 when it is raised by gear 48.

The contacts 58, 60, I4 and arm 44 are provided with adjustment screws 64, 65, I6, and 68 respectively. These adjustment screws are used to regulate the sensitivity of the switch.

Figure 4 shows a wiring diagram of the invention and comprises a source of power IS with a lead 80 to one side of the primary of a step-down transformer 82. The other side of the power source 18 is connected by lead 84 to one side of the spring biased switch 25, one contact of which is shown connected by lead 86 to one side of a manually operable switch 28, normally biased to closed position. The third contact of the switch 26 is connected by leads Hi6 and I08 through signal lamp 29 to lead 8|] of the power source.

The other side of switch 28 is connected by lead 88 to the other side of the transformer primary and by lead 90 to one side of the solenoid 20. The other side of the solenoid is connected by leads 92 and 94 through relay switch 96 to the first mentioned side of the transformer primary.

Connected to one side of the secondary of the transformer 82- are the contacts 58, 60, and 14 through lead 98, relay solenoid and lead N12. The other side of the transformer secondary is connected by lead I04 to the grounded contacts 52 and I2.

While the carding machine is operating, a variation in the weight of the sliver I3 passing between rolls 32 and 34 will cause roll 34 to swing about its pivot, creating a movement in arm 44, which in turn actuates the spring 50 carrying contacts 52. If the Variation of the sliver'is great enough to cause a sufficient movement of the spring 50, so that contacts 52 will touch. either one of the contacts 58 or 60, a circuit is completed through these contacts through lead I02, solenoid I 60, lead 98, the secondary of transformer B2 and lead I94, back again to the contacts 52, 58 and 60. I

This actuates the solenoid I99, closing the switch 96 which completes th following circuit; from the source of power I8 through leads 89 and 94, switch 96, lead 92, solenoid 2!], lead 99, switch 28, lead 86, switch 25, and lead 84 back again to the source of power I8. This actuates solenoid 20, which, as described above, is adapted to actuate'the shipper handle 22 to stop the carding machine.

When the carding machine has been stopped the movement of the shipper handle has actuated switch 26, so that current now flows through the signal light 29 in the following manner; from the 26 by the stopping of the carding machine opens the circuit to de-energize the solenoid 20.

It is sometimes desirable to make ineffective the cut-off mechanism described above. If, for example, the sliver breaks and it is necessary to piece-up the sliver through the coiler calendar rolls, it is highly desirable that the machine be kept in operation during that time. For this purpose switch 28 is provided. This switch is normally spring biased to closed position and is shown in Figure 1 as being operable by the operators foot.

When the coiler can is filled with a sufficient amount of sliver to raise the floating gear 48, contact is made between the contact points 12 and 14, which brings about a stopping action of the card in the same manner described above.

While only one illustrative embodiment has been shown and described, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the form nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a carding machine having stop mechanism, an electrical circuit for actuating said stop mechanism, a coiler, and coiler calendar rolls, mechanism for actuating said. electrical circuit comprising a lever pivoted at one end and having one of said calendar rolls rotatably mounted at its other end, a pair of rigidly mounted interconnected contacts, a second set of contacts resiliently mounted and positioned between said first set of contacts and an arm rigidly attached at one end to said lever at its pivot point and carrying means adjacent its other end to actuate said contacts.

2. In a carding machine having stop mechanism, an electrical circuit for actuating said stop mechanism, a coiler, and coiler calendar rolls, mechanism for actuating said electrical circuit comprising a lever pivoted at one end and having one of said calendar rolls rotatably mounted at its other end, a leaf spring carrying an electric contact, an adjustable rigid contact positioned adjacent the first mentioned contact, said contacts adapted to actuate said electrical circuit and an arm rigidly attached at one end to said. lever at its pivot point and adapted to actuate said leaf spring.

3. In a carding machine having stop mechanism, an electrical circuit for actuating said stop mechanism, a coiler, and coiler calendar rolls, mechanism for actuating said electrical circuit comprising a lever pivoted at one end and having one of said calendar rolls rotatably mounted at its other end, a pair of rigidly mounted interconnected contacts, a leaf spring carrying a second set of contacts positioned between said first set of contacts and a pivoted arm actuated by said swingable calendar roll and adapted to operate said contacts and actuate said circuit.

ROSCOE LEE THOMPSON. 

